in Boulder, Colorado. Her extensive
graduate program lasted 4.5 years with over 3000 hours of training, which
includes over 1100 hours of clinical hands on training. She is a licensed
Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. OM) through the National Committee for
the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine(NCCAOM) . She is also certified by the Council of
Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM ) in Clean Needle Technique and is state licensed as a
Licensed Acupuncturist in the Colorado. None of these licenses have ever been
revoked or suspended for any reason.

3-Give us a detailed description about the
cupping therapy type you use, how to do this type, for what conditions, number
of treatment prescribed and how many treatments considered a prescribed course
of cupping therapy?

I
use many types of cupping therapy depending on the diagnosis. I like to use
glass cups and fire cupping for acute wind attacks such as colds and flu. I use
sliding cupping along the bladder channels to bring the qi to the surface to
fight the invading pathogen. For acute attacks the patient may only need one
session.

For
muscular issues I like to use manual suction cups. With this type of cupping I
can choose the strength of suction and be very specific on location. I can also
add suction if the amount of color is not showing up that I'd like to see. For
muscular problems I may need to see a patient 2-5 times.

For
cases of toxic heat in the blood I do bleeding cupping with glass cups. I may
need to see the person 5-10 times. It always depends on proper diagnosis with
pulse, palpation, intake and tongue evaluation.

4-Give the new cupping therapists the key of
success and the tips you gained from your practice?

Make
sure you use enough oil or liniment when doing sliding cupping.

Be
careful with the amount of alcohol you use on your cotton ball make sure it is
not dripping. Make sure the alcohol has not dripped on the patient or inside
the cup.

Practice.
Don't be afraid to add a short cupping treatment to an acupuncture
treatment.

5-Please, describe in details the best and the
difficult case that you treated by cupping therapy?

The
best and most difficult case treated by cupping was severe facial acne caused
by toxic heat in the blood. We did cupping bleeding on Du14. We pricked Du14
3-5 times with a lancet the placed the cup over the top. This pulled out toxic
blood. The blood appeared to be bright red but very coagulated. This clears
heat as well as wind (which is associated with the skin). We did only this
point with bleeding cupping once a week for a month. By the end of the month
the acne was almost completely gone. With some diet coaching and regular
treatments we managed to clear up the patients acne problem.

6-Describe the most noted side effect of cupping
therapy and how you deal with it?

The
most noted side affect I see is bruising and if the suction is too intense a
welt may occur. We always try and avoid a raised welt. If the intensity is too
strong we release the cup. We always ask for feedback from the patient. We may
also use arnica on the darkened areas that look bruised.

7-How you see the future of cupping ?

Cupping
seems to be a forgotten art and medicine. Many people learn it and then quickly
forget it. With the latest technology media, websites, videos, and news coverage
hopefully people will come to understand the benefits of cupping. Some people
are afraid to try cupping do to the discoloration and fear of bruising. If
cupping is properly done it should not be painful and is actually quite
relaxing. If explained and demonstrated on patients hopefully people will
overcome their fears of cupping and improve their health with the therapeutic
benefits of cupping. The more knowledge that can be passed on the better.

8-In your opinion, what is the theory behind the
cupping therapy effect?

When
cupping is preformed qi and blood is brought to the surface or to the wei level
of qi. This level of qi is the defensive qi which can be activated, energized
and stimulated into healing the body. When done in specific areas such as
injured and or sore muscles it may also pull toxins or lactic acid to the
surface where the lymphatic system can properly dispose and detoxify. More qi
and blood are circulated also causing an improvement to health and
functionality of the area and our body system as a whole.

9-Your recommendation to enhance the practice?

My
recommendation to enhance the practice is for acupuncturists or other qualified
therapists to simply start adding a 5-10 minute cupping treatment to their
session. The more we practice the more we learn.